Bad Thoughts
by ceog4ever1
Summary: A new girl enters Hogwarts in Draco's sixth year. Voldemort has assigned her to help him with...well if you read the sixth book, you'll know. What happens when they get a little...too...close to each other? My first FF, so be honest. Finally COMPLETED!
1. The Secret Meeting

_**One**_

The girl walked down the deserted street, her heavy winter cloak flapping around her legs. The only sound on the still night air was that of her footsteps. She lifted her head up from the view of the ground and looked around. Her face was covered by the black hood of the cloak. She passed one house after another, always looking at the addresses on the sidewalks of this part of London. She turned a corner and started down this street as well. Looking ahead of her, she could see that it ended in thick forest. This was the right street.

She had stopped to stare at the forest without realizing it. When she came to, she continued her pace down the long and narrow road. She came to an old cabin on the end of the left side of the street. Reading the address, she realized that it was the house she wanted.

She walked up the stairs to the porch of the tiny house. She took out a wand from her sleeve under her cloak and ran it across the edges of the door. When she was done, they gleamed with an eerie green light. She pushed the door and it swung open gently, squeaking on its hinges. She stuck her head inside and peered around. The house seemed deserted, as everything was coated in a thick layer of dust.

She stepped inside as quietly as she could and closed the door behind her. Looking around, she noticed a staircase slightly hidden behind a large stove. She walked towards it and began climbing up the tall flight of stairs.

She reached a landing and saw that there was a door ajar halfway down an adjoining hallway with a stream of light pouring through. She walked to the door. Each step she took made her left arm sting that much more. She finally slid into the room. There was a plush red armchair facing a roaring fire, which was giving off the light in the room. The chair turned to face her. She bowed deeply and looked up.

"Hello, my Dark Lord," she said. She looked down again.

"Stand up," he rasped. "And remove that vile hood." She stood and lifted her hands to remove the hood. She did so, revealing pale skin, long black hair, and vicious green eyes.

"Pardon my ignorance, my Lord, but why have you called upon my services?" she said, bowing her head once more.

"I need you to assist a fellow servant of mine in a…most important deed. Can you do that?" The girl looked up and nodded.

"Who must I help, my Lord?"

"Draco Malfoy." The words hit the silent air like a knife. "You have already been enrolled at Hogwarts School. Now, come closer and I will tell you what you must do." She stepped forwards and leaned towards him, Lord Voldemort. He whispered in her ear as she waited for him to finish.


	2. The First Encounter

_**The First Encounter**_

Izabela crashed through Platform 9 ¾, her trunk clattering behind her. She wore a long-sleeved, tight, black shirt and acid-washed jeans. She had cut her long black hair days before to shoulder length. Her hands laced around the handle the trolley carrying her heavy trunk. She took a moment to look around. The Hogwarts Express loomed before her. Everywhere there were students saying last good-byes to their parents. Oh, how she hated them all. Her own parents had died in Azkaban for service to and faith in the Dark Lord. Izabela knew she was to follow in her parents footsteps and serve him as one of the two youngest deatheaters known, the other being Draco. Her left arm only slightly stung since her last encounter with Voldemort.

Izabela started walking again. A train assistant told her to get her robes and give him her trunk. She did as she was told and climbed onto the train to find a compartment to sit in. As she searched for one, she noticed that many of the other students were hanging halfway out the window conversing with their parents. _They disgust me,_ she thought with venom.

She finally found an empty compartment near the back. It was quieter than the rest of the train, which she was happy about. She lifted the door to the cupboard above her seat and threw her robes in. Then she took a seat next to the window and closed her eyes to think. How was she going to find this…Malfoy…boy? And would he even _want_ her help? That she doubted. From what she had heard, the Malfoy family had egos bigger than the size of most dragons. She felt the ground lurch beneath her feet and the noise suddenly grew louder. She opened her eyes and stood at her tall 5'11". She shut the compartment door with a slam and locked it. It did little to silence the noise around her, so she just looked out the window at the thinning crowd as the Hogwarts Express pulled away from the platform. They reached the outside of the tunnel and she breathed a sigh of relief because the noise was starting to die down again. She closed her eyes again, but soon reopened them because of a loud pounding on the door.

She sat up, ready to tell whoever it was to bug off and leave her alone. She froze when she saw three boy at least two inches taller than her. Two were also at least 60 pounds heavier than her. The other, apparently the ringleader, was about the same as her, maybe a few pounds heavier, and slightly muscular through his green, long-sleeved shirt. He wore black pants that hung loosely on his legs. He had white-blonde hair and shockingly blue eyes, those which were staring at her through the glass at that moment. Then he started knocking on the glass door once more.

"Open up!" he yelled, his voice muffled by the glass. Izabela stood and walked towards the door. She unlatched the lock and stood back. The three boys fell in all at once, forcing Izabela back to her seat. The leader straightened and smacked the two boys.

"Watch who you're running into, you blundering fools," he said. He shut the door again, locking it as well, and put his robes in to cupboard. The two boys did as he did. Then he sat, putting his hands behind his head. He stared at Izabela. She just turned back to the window and looked out at the scene below the train. He sized her up as she thought once more. _So __this__ is Malfoy,_ she thought. _He's different than I had expected._

"Who are you?" Malfoy asked suspiciously. "I haven't seen you around the _dump,_" he said. Izabela turned to face him.

"So you consider Hogwarts a…dump?" she said, hoping to draw attention away from her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Don't change the subject," he snapped. "What is your name?" Izabela silently cursed herself but kept her stoic expression.

"Izabela Monzenquo. I transferred to Hogwarts for my last two years of school. And you would be?" she replied. Malfoy looked slightly surprised at how easily she had answered.

"Draco Malfoy," he replied calmly. "Resident at Hogwarts for…six years, I believe, starting this year. This is Crabbe and Goyle" He smiled his signature smirk and waved and arm at the other two boys. She didn't react.

"Glad we got that act of formality out of the way," she said bitterly, returning her gaze to the world outside of the train. Malfoy furrowed his eyebrows at her abrupt end. He gazed at her with an odd expression. Inside, Izabela smiled.

_Well, she's definitely… cute, _Malfoy thought. It was the only conclusion he could come up with at the current time. It just meant that he would have all that much more time to…get to know her…in a sense. He looked forward to that.

Quite a bit of time passed with Malfoy talking to Crabbe and Goyle and Izabela in a state of meditation. Then the pain hit them both in their left arms, on the Dark Mark engraved in them when they were accepted by the Dark Lord. They both fell to the ground in pain. Izabela curled up in the fetal position while Draco grabbed his arm. Izabela looked up at him through her eyelashes, hoping that he hadn't noticed that she had fallen as well. She hoped the pain was too much for him.

It wasn't and, though his eyes were closed, he secretly wondered why they had fallen, in pain, no less, at the same exact time. He doubted she was a deatheater as well. He figured he had kicked her when he doubled over, so he decided not to focus on it as much as the pain. Izabela fought the pain and slowly stood to sit again. While all of this was happening, Crabbe and Goyle had been buying food from the food cart passing by. They came back as Izabela sat in her corner again. She brought her knees up to her face and buried her face in her legs.

The pain was growing steadily worse and Malfoy burst out in a low, hollow moan. Crabbe and Goyle stared at him and Izabela as tears streamed down her face. She jumped up and, grabbing her robes, flew out of the compartment.

She had no idea what she was doing, so she just kept going. She looked into each compartment as she passed. It then hit her that she was looking for the source of the pain: Lord Voldemort, all to no avail. He wasn't on the train, he couldn't be. There were too many people on the train. He wouldn't dare to expose himself with so many people out to get him. She stopped, mainly because the pain had done the same. She slowly turned and saw that many people were staring at her.

She wasn't going to go back to the same compartment. That would be pointless and too tiring. So, she turned back in the direction of her old compartment and began walking. The gazes directed at her slowly diminished and she could walk in peace. She passed her old compartment without a second glance. Malfoy was still doubled over in pain and she had no idea why she wasn't. She just kept walking. She finally reached the end and the only empty compartment. She slid into the seat and took a deep breathe.


	3. The 'Sorry' And Confusion

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are not mine...not even Draco...sniffle.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The 'Sorry' and Confusion**_

Back in the other compartment, Draco hadn't yet realized the pain had subsided. He still lay on the floor gripping his arm, out of breathe and too out of focus to think about anything at all. Finally he took a deep breathe and noticed that the only pain left was that of his own hand gripping his arm. He let it go and looked up and Crabbe and Goyle. Goyle was looking at him, while Crabbe was looking from the seat where Izabela had been to the door, trying to understand why she had left.

"Where is she?" he rasped. His throat was dry from the moaning he had done. He stood shakily and went to look out the glass door, which was open. He didn't see her anywhere. _Dammit! _he cursed himself. _Now she probably thinks I'm dangerous, and all because I accidentally kicked her._ He turned back to his friends.

"What are you two staring at?" he asked viciously. "And get me a glass of water," he ordered them. Goyle ran out to do as he wanted. He looked at Crabbe. "Now, you get to tell me what happened."

While Crabbe told him what had happened while Goyle ran around the whole train looking for the cart. He found it and bought a small bottle of water. He ran it back to Malfoy and handed it to him as he reached the compartment. Crabbe was just finishing his tale of what happened.

"And then…well…she sort of ran out. I saw her pass a few minutes before you got up. She just kept walking," Crabbe finished with a shrug.

"And in what direction was this?" Malfoy asked impatiently. Crabbe pointed towards the back of the train. Malfoy ran out, gulping the water that Goyle had given him. He walked as fast as he could, looking to find her. He reached her compartment and was relieved to find that the door was not locked. He slid the door open carefully so as not to scare her. Izabela looked up at him as he entered. He sat opposite her and she looked out the window. She was silent as before, but there was something different about her. She looked kind of…glazed over.

"Hey," Malfoy said. She looked back at him suspiciously. He held out the water bottle. She took it and guzzled a drink. She handed it back to him and smiled a half-smile. He put the cap on and set it next to him.

"I'm…sorry," he said in a strained voice. Izabela looked at him curiously, trying to figure out why he had said that. _Does he think he hurt me? _She asked herself. _I should just play along. He doesn't need my help yet and this could only go downward if I told him. _Izabela looked him over, determining if he was serious or not.

"It must be terrible for a Malfoy to have to say sorry," she said mockingly. She seemed to have…unglazed, for lack of a better word. She smiled maliciously. "It's alright. Now stop giving me that look. Its kinda awkward." She looked away. He had been giving her a look filled with loathing. He just regained his pompous attitude and looked her over, once more, just to see if she was okay. She didn't seem to have any bruises…yet, but her face was streaked with tearstains. She was looking out the window, and, in the light of the setting sun, they seemed to shine, as if they were fresh. She didn't notice him move at first, or at all, even when he was kneeling in front of her. He lifted a hand up to her cheek and wiped away the tears. Her head whipped around to face him, shock in her eyes. She froze with his hand still on her cheek. The tears, he found, were cold. They were old and she hadn't bothered to wipe them away. He did the same to the other side of her face and lowered his hands.

"They were unbecoming of you," he said seriously. He stood his towering 6'1" and lowered himself gently back down on his seat. He smiled because he thought he saw a tinge of red just under Izabela's skin. And it was true; she was indeed blushing, trying hard to force it down. She turned back to the window to think once more.

_Am I falling for him? This isn't supposed to be happening. I'm supposed to be __helping__ him, not flirting with him…I suppose I wasn't really…flirting…with him. He just wanted to wipe the tears off my cheek…Does that mean that he likes me? He can't. He's not that type of person. Is he?_ She turned at him involuntarily, only to see him looking back. The same thoughts had rushed through his head, and he knew that he was, indeed, confused. He thought that Malfoys shouldn't need to be confused. They should know all the answers. And yet, confused was exactly what he was.

Izabela looked up at the clock above his head. Draco did the same. "We should get our robes on," he said. He stood to leave. "Catch you later, Monzenquo," he said with a smirk. And with that, he left to change. Izabela sighed and shut the door, doing the same.


	4. The Secret Corridor

**A/N: I know my past chapters have been short. I'm trying to make this one and the next ones longer. Please R&R and enjoy!!!**

**Disclaimer: All characters and events relating to Harry Potter are J.K. Rowling's, and not mine…not even Draco. **

_**The Secret Corridor**_

Izabela walked up the towering steps leading to the front of Hogwarts. Each step made her stomach twist that much more. She reached the doors and let a few students go inside ahead of her. She had not learned what house she was to be in, and she wanted to know when she would. She searched the crowd for a teacher of any sort. Her eyes stopped on Draco. _No, _she said to herself. _Keep your mind off of him for the time being._ Yet, she couldn't. He looked up from his friends, tears of laughter streaming down his face. He wiped them away and saw her looking at him. He smiled and winked at her. Her eyes widened and her stomach lurched. He turned away, laughing at something his friend had said. _Maybe I had just imagined that_, Izabela thought as she turned and entered the castle.

"Miss Monzenquo," a voice said behind her. A tall woman in flowing Gryffindor robes came up to her. "I thought it was you," she said, grabbing Izabela's arms and dragging her away from the crowd. "I am Professor McGonagall," she said formally. "I will be sorting you into your house." She opened the door of an empty classroom and urged Izabela into it. She entered, noticing an old hat sitting on a stool. McGonagall lifted the hat and motioned for her to sit. She obeyed and the hat was placed on her head. She felt it move on her head and it groaned out of what seemed a deep sleep.

"Am I to begin?" it asked.

"No, you are not. I simply want you to sort this young lady," McGonagall said lightly. The hat murmured and sighed.

"Slytherin," it said lazily. The hat was lifted off of her head and she stood. McGonagall opened the door and Izabela exited, following her to the Great Hall. They reached it as the older students were being seated. McGonagall stopped her before she could enter and turned to face her. She took out her wand and tapped both of her shoulders. Her plain black robes were transformed into Slytherin embroidered robes. She pointed to the Slytherin table with her wand and watched as Izabela made her way over to the table farthest from the center.

Malfoy was watching her as well from behind McGonagall and entered shortly after, motioning for Crabbe and Goyle to leave him be. He made his way over to her table and sat across from her. Her eyes were closed and he smiled at her innocence. He put his head in one of his hands and waited for her to notice he was there.

"Must you always stare like that," she said, her eyebrows furrowing but her eyes remaining closed. She slowly opened them and it was then that he realized how beautiful her eyes were. He straightened and she raised and eyebrow, amusement in her eyes at his shocked reaction. _So he __does__ like me, at least a little bit, _she noted. She smirked in spite of herself. She straightened as well, stretching a bit before she looked back at him. He edged closer to her, his knee brushing hers under the table. Izabela took no notice of it.

"Where are your cronies?" she asked, searching for Crabbe and Goyle.

"Oh, over there somewhere," he motioned aimlessly behind him. Just then, the room became hushed and Draco turned to look over his shoulder. The first years were entering, and he turned back to her. "But it isn't them that you should be worried about," he whispered maniacally. He smirked and half-turned in his seat, never fully turning around. His knees came to rest by hers and he smiled inside. Izabela could feel the butterflies in her stomach doing cartwheels as they nudged hers. She refused to acknowledge it, though and pretended to be interested in the sorting of the first years. However, thoughts of Draco rushed through her mind and she fought to keep her breathe steady every time he slightly moved. The sorting ended and Malfoy turned to face her again. His knees never left and, if anything, came closer to hers when he turned. Dumbledore made his speech and the food appeared on the table. She grabbed a few rolls and buttered them while Draco grabbed a turkey leg and a goblet filled to the brim with pumpkin juice. She took a bite of the roll and chewed it, thinking about why she was feeling so giddy now that they were alone. Malfoy looked up at her through the hair falling in his eyes and took another bite of the meat. He swallowed and wiped his mouth before placing the food down. He took a drink, never letting his eyes fall from her.

"So," he said, placing the goblet to the right of him.

"So," she replied back, raising her eyebrow.

"A true Slytherin, I see," he said, motioning to the emblem on her robe.

"Hmm," she mumbled, lost in his eyes. "Oh, yeah. Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"No reason," he said, studying his fingernails and slowly rubbing her knee under the table. "Just thought you might want…help finding your way around the castle. I assume they'll stick you in all the same classes as me," he said proudly.

"Thanks for the generous offer," she said sarcastically, "but I think I'll manage."

"Are you sure," he said, leaning in a bit. He put his hands on the table and slid them towards hers, mischief shining brightly in his eyes. Izabela leaned in as well.

"I'm sure," she whispered, wanting to kiss him so badly but knowing the show she had to put on to save both of their skins. She leaned back and grabbed a turkey leg and bit into it, letting the juice flow down her throat. Malfoy leaned back slowly and smiled, putting his hands behind his head.

"But I insist," he said mockingly sweet. "You see, I'd like to help the less fortunate in these times of needs," he said evilly. Izabela swallowed and Dumbledore released them to go. She stood and watched as the food disappeared. She followed some other Slytherin students as they made their way towards the common room. Malfoy sighed as he stood and Crabbe and Goyle rejoined him.

"Go elsewhere, you bloody dumb nuts," he said as he walked after her. They looked at each other and shrugged, going the other way, towards the common room. Malfoy was taking a short cut to cut off Izabela. _I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way,_ he thought to himself. He came to an opening near the entrance to the common room. He saw Izabela walking this way. A boy near the entrance spoke the password (_Dark Lord_), and Izabela memorized it quickly. As she neared him, Draco smiled at how innocent she was not to notice him. She came closer and closer. She finally reached a point where he could grab her and he did, putting one hand over her mouth. She sighed inside and just let him quickly drag her into the secret hallway. When they were out of earshot of anybody, he let go of her mouth and loosened his grip, afraid that she would run if he let her go. She rolled her eyes and thanked all dark lords that the passageway was dark and he couldn't see her blushing. She turned to face him and smacked him with her free arm

"Ow," he said. "What was that for?" he let her go and watched to see what she was doing.

"That was for kidnapping me!" she said as she hit him again. He glared at her. "And that was for being stupid enough to let me go." She leaned against the stone wall and watched him closely. "Where are we, anyways?"

"Oh, this?" he motioned around him. "It's just a short cut to a few places. Now will you let me show you around Hogwarts?" Izabela looked at him and burst out laughing. He looked shocked. "Why are you laughing?" he asked.

"That's the only reason why you dragged me here? To show me around the school? That's slightly pathetic." She wiped the tears that were flowing down her face.

"That is not why I grabbed you. I wanted to see how you would react," he said matter-of-factly. He walked towards her and cornered her in, his arms against the wall blocking any exit she might have had. Their bodies nearly touched and she could feel the warmth coming off of his body. This made her blush even more and she couldn't stand how this was turning out. She turned her head and he leaned in towards her neck, stopping just short of it. She could feel his breath on her neck. She closed her eyes.

"Does this…scare you?" he breathed. Then he backed his head away a bit and she swung hers around. She knew immediately that that was a mistake because, even in the darkness, his eyes captured her. She felt her knees go weak and she felt like she was going to collapse. He smirked. "Well, are you ready for our little…adventure?" he said stepping back and pulling an arm away, allowing her to get by. She stood there frozen in a daze. "Or would you like me to hold you a bit more?" This seemed to awaken her. She gave him a gaze a deep loathing and stepped away from the wall.

"Where do you plan on taking me?" she asked warily. He grinned.

"That, is a surprise." He started down the corridor and she stood looking after him for a moment. Then she rushed after him, finally catching up to him. He led her through corridor after corridor, never revealing the way. They finally reached a door where he stopped.

"Now, it's gonna get a bit darker when we get in here," he said, turning. "So, if you feel the need to grab a hold of me, don't hesitate," he said mockingly. She rolled her eyes and he pushed open the door, much like she had that night when she had first heard of Draco Malfoy. It squeaked open and he held out his hand, urging her with his eyes to hold it, mischief gleaming in his eyes once more. She hesitated, and then slid her own hand into his. He smiled, but this time it seemed a bit more genuine. He turned and led her into the room. The temperature dropped and it did grow darker. He led her slowly, allowing her to take in the drastic change in surroundings. She never showed the slightest reaction and Draco led her to what seemed like a window. He stopped and turned her towards him. He let go of her hand and urged her down into the window. He sat after her and she could barely see his outline in the dark. He reached up and undid the latch to the wood shutters of the window. He pushed it open and the night breeze drifted in. He looked at Izabela in the light of the full moon. She was taking in the sight. It seemed to be up in a tower high above the grounds. Looking out, she saw the lake, glass-like and dark, far beneath her.

"Where are we now?" she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence all around her.

"An old tower up near the owl's stoops. I come here when I want to be alone." He turned his attention away from her and looked out as well. "No one comes up here anymore except Filch and the occasional first year lost." He looked back at her and noticed that she had been looking at him while he spoke. For a moment, she thought she saw pure innocence in his eyes. As soon as she noticed it, it disappeared and was replaced by the hardness she had noticed always seemed to be there. He stood and looked out once more. Then he looked over to her and smirked, his eyes gleaming.

"I suppose now that you've seen how romantic it is, you'll want to kiss me, huh?" he said sardonically. She stood and walked towards him, letting him grab her by the waist and pull her towards him. He smiled. And she did the same.

"Oh, yes, I've been waiting for this moment forever." She leaned in and he bent his head down towards hers. She closed her eyes and he did the same, ready for the kiss. She slid her hands through his hair and…kneed him in the groin. He collapsed in pain and let Izabela go. She turned back to the window and looked out once more. She turned back to Malfoy as he slowly rose.

"Why haven't you left yet?" he asked hoarsely. He was slightly shocked that she hadn't left him lying in the dark in pain.

"I don't know the way out, in case you forgot," she said informally. He sat on the window, Izabela near him. It was then that a plan, as much pain as he was in, popped into his head. She was near enough for him to grab her.

And that he did, sweeping her over to him. He made her sit on his lap and refused to let her go. She held onto his neck so she wouldn't fall, even though she knew he would never let her. His hands slid from her lower back up to her neck. He drew her in and she closed her eyes, the process repeating. She waited for the pain of his revenge to come while he closed his eyes as well. He drew her in even more and gently, oh so gently, his lips brushed hers. Izabela's knees gave way again and she kissed him back, running her hands through his hair and enjoying the feeling of him holding her.

Malfoy gripped her with more of his arm, in a near hug; kissing her like he had wanted to since he saw her crying on the train. They stayed there in the window for what seemed like eternity when Izabela gently pulled away. She saw the look in his eyes and smiled.

"Well, you got what you wanted, didn't you?" she said wickedly, smiling down on him.

"The same goes for you, my Slytherin newbie," Draco said quietly. Izabela chuckled as she fixed his hair and he blushed slightly. She stood and he did the same. He closed the window and grabbed her arm, leading her through the darkness again. Slowly, he slid his hand from her arm down to her hand. They reached the outside of the door, and they looked each other over. They seemed fine to the other, and he didn't let her hand go, not that Izabela minded much.

"I wonder how your girlfriend's gonna feel when she hears that you snogged the Slytherin newbie," Izabela said cruelly.

"What girlfriend?" he said seriously. "I haven't had a girlfriend since last year, and I couldn't care less what she thought." He said emotionlessly. They walked in silence for a while until they reached the spot where he had first released her. Malfoy turned right and followed the path to the common room.

"So, am I a good kisser?" he asked meaninglessly. He waited for an answer while Izabela thought.

"No, actually you're the worst kisser I've ever experienced," she said mockingly. Draco looked a bit dejected and Izabela smiled. He saw this and sighed a sigh of relief inside. She was kidding. He seemed a bit cheerier as they entered the deserted common room. He let go of her hand and made his way up the stairs towards his dorm room. He stopped at the top and looked down on the watching Izabela.

"G'night, Monzenquo," he said, and entered the room. Izabela followed suit and walked up the stairs and into her own dorm. Slipping into the comfort of her covers, she thought about how good his lips had felt. She soon fell asleep.


	5. The First Day

**A/N: I hope you liked the last few chapters. It's my first fan fiction, so even hate reviews are welcome. Tell me if there's anything I should change. R&R!!!!**

**Disclaimer: All characters and events relating to Harry Potter are not mine to claim as my own…not even Draco.**

* * *

_**The First Day**_

Izabela's eyes slowly opened to the light streaming in from the window near her bed. She turned over onto her back and memories of the night before came flooding back. She smiled as she stretched, thinking of how he had held her. She sat and shook her head, clearing her morning grogginess. She looked around and saw that most of the other girls near her were still fast asleep. She slid from under her covers and grabbed her outfit for the day from her trunk. As an after thought, she grabbed some muggle make-up that was designed to cover imperfections. She dressed quickly and before sliding into her Slytherin robes, she covered the Dark Mark on her arm with the make-up. It loomed jet black and mocking as she covered it. Izabela sighed and grabbed her book bag. She saw that the other girls were waking up and she made her way down the stairs to the common room.

Draco saw her as she entered, her hair in a messy bun and her bag slung over her right shoulder. She left through the entrance and made her way towards the Great Hall. Draco got up to follow her, as did Crabbe and Goyle. He turned to face them.

"How many bloody times must I tell you? Leave me be while I eat." He scoffed at them and left to catch up to Izabela. He reached the Great Hall just as she was sitting in the same place as the night before. He walked towards her, a sneer on his face. She was serving herself to toast and pumpkin juice left over from the night before. He slid into the same spot he sat the night before and she looked up at him. She simply turned back to her breakfast.

"Now, that's no way to acknowledge your mentor," Draco said mockingly, smirking at her while pulling the collar of his robes importantly. Izabela had to try hard not to snort as she took a drink, for fear she would end up spitting it all over him. She looked up at him, mischief in her eye.

"You? My mentor?" she asked in disbelief. "Yeah, right." They ate in silence for a bit. Then Dumbledore conjured up their new class schedules and, to Izabela's inner satisfaction, Draco had been right and they had been given the same classes. This made it easier for her to watch him. He smiled up at her.

"I told you so," he smirked. Snape walked up to the two and noticed that she had already met him, starting her assignment early. He knew her assignment, as one of the Dark Lord's most important followers. His eyes twinkled with pleasure.

"Draco, I expect you'll help our new student get used to her schedule," he said, looking down on his two students.

"Of course, Professor Snape. It'll be my pleasure," Draco replied smoothly. He grinned at Izabela as she smiled up at Snape. He left, his black robes flowing behind him. "That's Snape," Draco replied as he left. "He's head of…"

"Slytherin, I know," Izabela interrupted. She smiled at his shocked expression. Dumbledore announced that they were to leave for their classes and Draco looked at his schedule.

"Well, it looks like we have double Potions first. Better get going." They stood and Draco waited for her to catch up to him. As she neared him, he smirked and held out his hand. Izabela looked from him to his hand and back. Then she smiled and reached out her hand. Instead of placing it in his, she ran her fingers over his palm, tickling them gently, and continued to walk. Draco silently kicked himself and led the way to the Potions room.

As they reached it, Izabela trailing behind a bit, Draco slid into line behind some Gryffindor students. Izabela followed suit, but did so a few feet away from him. Draco sighed. Crabbe and Goyle came up to him and went directly behind him, cutting off access to her. Draco rolled his eyes and turned to yell at them when he saw Harry Potter and his friends walking towards them. He shut his mouth and smirked.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," he said, motioning towards Potter. "It's Potty and Weasle-Bee….and…what's this? The filthy little mudblood," he finished, grinning broadly as his friends laughed around him.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Harry said, passing him. Hermione glared at him as they passed, Ron holding onto her arm so she wouldn't punch him.

"That's right. Run away from your superiors," Malfoy said snidely, pulling at his robes again. This time Hermione turned, about to go after him. Harry grabbed a hold of her and mumbled something inaudible in her ear. Hermione calmed and nodded at Harry. He let go of her and they walked into the classroom. Draco and his friends followed the line of other Gryffindors and Slytherins entering the room.

"You know, she's always had a huge crush on me," Draco said as they entered. Izabela passed him silently and headed for the back of the room. She settled at a table in the corner and Draco came up behind her and sat next to her. Crabbe and Goyle followed, seating themselves near Draco. He looked around, his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Why is it so bright in here?" he said, shock and distain in his voice. Izabela smiled to herself. So he hadn't heard that Snape wasn't teaching potions anymore. She looked up from her bag and placed a book in front of her. She was about to say something to Malfoy when their new professor entered the room.

"Hello, class. I am Professor Slughorn, and I'll be your new potions teacher," he said when the noise had died down. Izabela could hear a low growl form in the back of Draco's throat. Professor Slughorn winked at a student at the front of the class and Draco's eyes went to that seat. In it was Harry. He shook his head.

"Dammit," he mumbled.

"Is something wrong," Izabela asked innocently. He turned on her and she just smiled sweetly, her eyes dripping with mischief. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the front of the class. Professor Slughorn had started his lesson for the day. Izabela listened to him carefully. They were going to be doing review and make poly juice potion. Draco rolled his eyes at how easy of a potion it was. However, he was still tense. This class was not going to be his, "let's torture Potter," class anymore. As Slughorn was lecturing, Izabela place her hand on his knee under the table. He looked at her, slightly in awe. She simply looked back at him and smiled a genuine smile. He turned back to the lesson once more, but he was slightly more relaxed, now that he knew she wasn't as against him as he had thought. He let his mind wander to other subjects as Slughorn became a buzz in the back of his head. His mind finally remembered the previous night and he smiled. So she had felt the same connection. He realized that Slughorn's lecture was drawing to an end. As they all started their potions. Izabela temporarily removed her hand to get her things. But, after she had, she put it back on his thigh. This time, however, his hand was waiting for hers. She just let him entwine his fingers with hers as they worked one-handedly. Despite the warning that was flashing in the back of her mind, Izabela smiled. She did like him, and there was really nothing she could do about it.

* * *

**A/N: PUH-LEASE review!!!! Every time you don't review, a kitten dies. So, review and save little kitty lives.**


	6. The Question

**A/N: I just wanted to thank all of my faithful readers and I'm working on the story constantly. Now that I'm on summer break and have a lot of time on my hands, this is mostly what I'm working on. So, thanks again. **

**Disclaimer: All characters and events relating to Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling. **

**

* * *

**

**The Question**

The rest of the period passed quickly, with Slughorn praising Potter like he was a god. Finally, Slughorn let them out and they made their way to D.A.D.A. Draco moped the entire way there. Izabela rolled her eyes as she followed him. He really did need to learn to listen while Dumbledore spoke. They entered the room, and Draco was immediately at ease. He saw Snape leaning against a closed window on the other side of the classroom. Snape smiled to himself as he saw the two walking side by side. Draco sat in the first row, while Izabela opted for a seat directly above him. The front row wasn't her style.

The last of the students drifted in, and Snape waved his arm, causing the door to slam shut. The class silenced instantly. Izabela smiled. Snape sauntered to the front of the class and looked it over.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, would you be so kind as to join the rest of the class and turn your attention to me, please?" Snape said in a demanding voice. The air thickened with his words. He smirked a few moments later. "Thank you," he said as he began pacing. "Now, this year I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. In this class, you will learn to defend yourself without speaking a word. Some of these wordless incantations only require a wand, and some don't. In time, you will be tested on them." He stopped his pacing and faced the class. "For those of you who will surely fail these tests, well, I only see it as fair to punish you, for it means you weren't paying attention to me. Now, pair up!" he said, and the scrawl of people to get to their friends was intense. Izabela slowly rose, as did Draco. A girl with short, black hair ran up to him.

"Draco, would you like to be my partner?" she asked hopefully. Izabela stiffened. Draco looked over the girl and then spoke.

"Actually, Pansy, I was going to ask Izabela, here if she wanted to be my partner." He turned to face Izabela. She looked uneasy, mainly because Pansy's eyes were on her, along with Draco's. She took a step down and stood next to Draco.

"Sure," she replied evenly. Her face was expressionless. Draco nearly smiled.

"Fine!" Pansy scoffed as she turned and went back to her friends.

"Your girlfriend?" Izabela asked mockingly. She smiled and stared after her.

"Ex, unfortunately," Draco replied. Izabela laughed.

"She's…interesting," she replied.

"Indeed. Come on," Draco said, leading the way down. Izabela followed and turned to face him like all the other pairs. Snape studied the partners, switching some here and there. When he got to Draco and Izabela, he nodded and walked off. Izabela almost laughed.

"Now, today we will start with disarming spells only," he said, emphasizing his last word. "Think your spell, do not say it aloud, and aim at your partner with your wand. Wands out! Ready, think, and fire!" he said. Wands zoomed across the room, and anxious students ran after theirs. Izabela had already learned this in her training for Voldemort's service. She thought it, swiped her wand gently, and had Draco's wand halfway across the classroom in no time.

"Very good, Miss Monzenquo," Snape said. Draco hurried to get his wand. It was his turn. He tried to disarm her, but he couldn't. He hadn't been trained to do this. Finally he got her wand to fly a few feet behind her. He smiled, obviously pleased with himself. Izabela raised an eyebrow, smirked, and held out her hand. He looked at her curiously.

"I'm not gonna get your wand for you, you know," he said. She simply laughed. A few seconds later, the wand slowly rose from the ground and flew back to her outstretched hand, avoiding the running children.

"There will be no need for you to," she replied coolly, swiping her wand and making his fly completely across the room. He looked at her in shock. "I'm not going to get your wand for you, you know," Izabela said snidely. Draco just blinked. Izabela rolled her eyes and waited for him to get over the shock of being bested by a girl. He closed his eyes, replaying the incident, then turned and walked off to get his wand. She was smiling when he came back.

"What are you smiling at," he asked harshly.

"Nothing," Izabela replied blankly. She blinked and waited for him to go. "Are you going to try to disarm me or am I gonna have to make you fetch yours again?" she asked coldly. She saw his eyebrows furrow as he concentrated on making her wand fly as far as possible. He managed to make it go a few feet more than before. She just held out her hand again. However, this time, it flew into her hand and she had waved her wand faster than Draco had anticipated. His wand was sent into the wall and landed on the floor. As he turned to get it, he saw it rising. He froze, and it shot itself at him, dropping to the ground by his feet. Snape watched them with a look of amusement on his face. Draco leaned down to get his wand. He turned back to Izabela.

"Thanks," he simply said. She nodded. It was then that Snape ended the lesson.

"That'll be enough practice for today," he said, looking over some Gryffindor students who had encountered more than a disarming spell. Everyone made their way back to their seats, and Snape lectured for the rest of the class, emphasizing the importance of safety. Izabela paid little attention. She was watching Pansy and her friends. She knew that they hated her, and that made her somewhat happy. It was one reason for them to stay away from Draco, for her personal reasons and her…influential…reasons. Snape ended his lecture just as the class ended. He excused them all to go to lunch. Izabela hung back, not wanting to get caught in the crowd of hungry 6th years. Draco hung back as well, but only because he wanted to avoid Pansy as much as possible. Izabela shoved her book in her bag and rose, walking to stand next to Draco. They left and made their way to lunch. They sat in the same spots as that morning. _This is becoming a trend,_ Draco thought to himself.

"So," he said after a few minutes of silence from Izabela. She looked up at him with one eyebrow raised.

"'So' what?" she asked, slightly impatient.

"We have a free period next period. One of the perks of being a sixth year. What do you want to do?" he asked in reply. She thought about the homework that Slughorn had assigned to them. It was easy enough: just to list the main ingredients in a love potion. She could do that later.

"What about hanging out by the lake?" she asked. She grabbed her schedule from her bag. "We have a double free period. Then we have dinner," she read off of the paper. She looked up at him.

"The lake it is, then," he said. He turned to his food, and so did Izabela. They ate in silence. When they were done and their plates had been disposed of, they walked back to the common room to drop off their things. When they pushed open the door of the entrance, the sounds of Slytherins working (and talking) flooded over them. They went in separate directions to their dorms. When Izabela reached her bed, she slammed her bag down on the bed, checked that her wand was in her sleeve, and put a protection spell over her bed. Then she made her way back to the common room. Draco was waiting for her by the entrance. She walked past him and he followed. She walked straight ahead, and Draco grabbed her elbow to stop her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To the lake," Izabela replied slowly, as if speaking to a young child.

"Not that way," he said. "We'll use a short cut." He pulled her to an almost- hidden hallway and led her through it. When they came out, they were at the front doors. They walked out and down the steps towards the lake. They had not been the only people to think of this, and this slightly disappointed Draco. He had wanted some alone time with her. He noticed he had stopped walking and that Izabela waited patiently for him a few feet ahead. He walked up to her and she led the way to a shady tree on the far right side of the lake's bank. She leaned against the trunk and watched him warily as he looked out on the surface of the still lake. To her, he looked like a god. He turned back to her.

"What are you staring at?" he asked. She just shook her head and looked out at the lake. It was immense. The view from the window the night before had done it no justice. She whipped her head back as she saw him move. He was walking towards her slowly. "You know," he said. "I was surprised at how easily I lured you out here," he said evilly. He cornered her to the trunk and smirked. She looked at him, carefully avoiding his eyes.

"You're so cruel," she breathed quietly, laughter in her voice. She turned her head back to the lake. He leaned in on her neck.

"I know," he replied, his warm breathe tickling the hairs on her neck. He pressed his lips to her neck, just above her collarbone. Slowly and snidely, he made his way up her neck, to just below her ear. "I told you it wasn't Crabbe or Goyle you should be worried about," he whispered in her ear. He took her chin in his hand and turned it so that she was forced to face him. She looked into his blue eyes and felt her knees shake. _Bad move, Monzenquo_, she thought to herself as she felt the blood rush to her head and her heart beat faster. He smiled as if he could hear it and leaned in, kissing her forehead. Then he moved to her left temple and kissed that, making his way down to the corner of her mouth. He did the same to her other side. Then he hovered tauntingly above her mouth. His lips curled into a smile.

"You didn't think I'd be so generous as to let you kiss me again, did you?" he said cynically. He pulled away and sat against the trunk of the tree facing the lake, his legs pulled up with his knees up. Izabela backed away from the tree and stood looking at the lake. He looked up at her and stood. She barely paid attention. He went behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist and sat, pulling her down with him. He draped her on his lap in between him and his pushed-up knees. He held her waist and pulled her against his body, tucking her head under his. She didn't mind at all, and she knew how dangerous that could be. He held her out and looked down at her, trying to read her expression. She looked into his eyes once more, feeling the whole intensity of them again. _Really__ bad move, Monzenquo,_ she thought, although she kept her face unreadable. Draco furrowed his eyebrows and pulled her to his body again.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Shoot," Izabela replied, unsure if she wanted to know what he was going to ask.

"How would you feel if I asked you to be my girlfriend? And I want an honest answer," he said, knowing she was probably going to lie to him. Izabela thought for a few minutes. Should she lie? Would he know? What were the consequences of the truth? Of the lie? She finally sighed and spoke.

"I would feel like I was in heaven," she replied quietly and more evenly than she expected. He paused as well, thinking over her words.

"Then it's settled." He pulled her away from him so he could look at her. "Would you be my girlfriend?" he asked. Izabela raised her eyebrow.

"I'd love to," she breathed. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. He leaned in and took her face in his hands. He kissed her and she reached up to cup his face in her hand. Slowly she pulled away and he pulled her against his body once more. _As dangerous as this is, it feels right,_ she thought.

"Good," he said. He undid her bun and her hair fell like a curtain around her. They looked out at the lake, frozen in their bliss. Up on an uppermost part of the castle behind them, Pansy watched. Her fists clenched as she watched Izabela lean her head against his chest and his arm wrap around her small frame. She turned and stalked off, disturbing many people trying to enjoy their peace and quiet time, fury and pure venom dripping from her eyes.

She stalked into the Slytherin common room and up to her dorm. As she reached the door, an idea formed in her mind. She raced past her bed and made her way to Izabela's bed. She was about to open her trunk when she froze in place and was sent crashing into the nearby wall. She was pinned there by some invisible force.

"DAMMIT!" she shrieked, realizing that Izabela had put a protection spell on her things. Pansy realized that her cry of fury had been muffled, and that only made her more furious. The spell had an anti- scream charm on it, so that no one would be able to hear her in her torture. She was stuck until someone decided to wander up to the dorm and release her. _Just a minor setback,_ she thought. _I __will_ _get her!_ She struggled hopelessly, and then settled down to wait for someone to come in and find her dangling helplessly from the wall.


	7. The Discovery

**A/N: I'm back! Yes, I know the seventh book came out last week, but I haven't gotten it yet, so no spoiler reviews!!!! Anywho, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: Do I even need to go there???**

**The Discovery**

Izabela's eyes fluttered open, and she felt the steady rhythm of Draco's breathing against her head. She groaned and squinted her eyes shut at the still-up sun. Against her, she felt him snigger softly as he pulled her tighter against his chest. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that the sun was just beginning to set on the day.

"You know, we've missed dinner," he said, almost regretfully.

"You could've left," she replied monotonously. She looked up into his stubborn chin, waiting for him to reply.

"You're right, I could have, but I didn't. So what do we do now?"

"I don't know." She wasn't just talking about that night. She sighed. Neither of them made a move to get up, and she looked up out on the horizon. _Look at us, watching the sunset, two deatheaters in perfect harmony_, she thought. The thought almost made her laugh, it was so bitterly ironic.

The sun finally dipped down below the lake and the temperature dropped. Izabela shuddered in his arms. His eyebrows furrowed as she slid deeper into his chest.

"Are you cold?" he asked, unaware of how else to react. It was her turn to snigger.

"Me? Cold? Only in the heart," she said maliciously. She fingered her left arm absentmindedly. Draco stiffened, as if sensing the deeper connection she had so easily hinted at. Izabela felt him and shrugged out of his lap, standing. He followed suit, holding out his hand for her once he was standing. Just like that same morning, she went to grab it, but only tickled his palm and started walking, a smirk on her face. Draco smiled as well, following her up the stairs and into the castle.

"Follow me," he whispered into her ear when he had caught up with her. She turned to face him, confusion written all over her face. He just smiled, walking in the opposite direction of the Slytherin common room. She followed him reluctantly. They stopped in front of a portrait of a bowl of fruit, and he ran his finger over a pair. Then, the wall opened and he led the way into the kitchen. He spoke softly to one of the little house elves running around, and they brought two meals to them. Izabela blinked as he held one of the plates out to her. She opened her mouth, shut it again, and opened it.

"N-no thanks," she stuttered to the house elf. He smiled happily and ran to put it back. Draco looked at her, his mouth half full with food.

"Don't you want anything?" he asked after he had swallowed. She shook her hand and joined him as he sat at a small table in the corner. She watched him as he devoured everything that was on his plate. When he had finished, he handed the plate to an awaiting house elf, who scurried away to wash it. He looked up at her, unsurprised to find her watching him.

"Better?" she asked mockingly, a smirk tugging at the edge of her lips. He shook his head.

"Not even close," he drawled, standing and walking over to the other side of the table. He leaned in towards her, his eyes gleaming with mischief. Izabela raised an eyebrow, and he leaned in even more, his lips touching hers. She kissed him back, savoring the moment. Then, finally, inevitably, he pulled away, smirking.

"Much better," he whispered, backing away. Izabela's eyes were slightly wide, and she stood, following him out of the kitchen. They walked down the dungeon to their common room, and Izabela shivered. It was much darker than usual, and that almost scared her. They entered the common room, noticing that all of the Slytherins were still there, as if awaiting their return. As soon as they stepped through the door, a group of Slytherin boys in front of the fire called out to Draco. He motioned for them to wait a moment and he turned to face Izabela.

"Quidditch meeting," he said gruffly. He pulled her close, kissing her again, and pulled away. "Gotta go." She nodded solemnly and watched as he walked to an open seat waiting for him. She sighed and made her way up the steps to her dorm, pushing the door open when she reached it. She walked quietly to her bed, noticing that there was no one in it. She reached her bed and was just about to raise the protection spell on it, when she heard a low moan. She whipped around, facing a screaming Pansy. She laughed as Pansy struggled. She finally raised the spell, sending Pansy on her knees on the floor.

"Are…you…okay?" Izabela asked between laughs. Pansy glared at her.

"You little bitch!" she yelled, her voice back to normal. She lunged for Izabela. Izabela stopped laughing abruptly, dodging the attack by sliding to the left. Pansy landed on her face on the bed. Izabela flung herself on top of Pansy, locking her in place by pulling her arm behind her back. She heard the door open and gasps as Pansy's friends came to help her. Izabela released Pansy, and she stood, walking over to her friends.

"Make sure you keep her under control…and out of my stuff," Izabela said gruffly as her friends whispered around her. They all turned on her.

"Oh, I'll get you, you little boyfriend stealing bitch. If it's the last thing I do, I'll get you," Pansy replied, her voice icy.

"Is that what this is about? Me and Draco?" she asked, slightly surprised. "He said you guys broke up."

"Well, we did, but I know he still loved me. At least, until you came around." She turned on her heel and walked out of the dorm, her friends following her. She slammed the door behind her. Izabela sighed once more, and then quickly changed into her pajamas. She slipped into the warm comfort of the emerald covers, closing the sliver curtains around her and mumbling another protection spell. She closed her eyes and let the world of dreams enter her mind, Pansy's rant echoing in her mind as she did so.

**A/N: I know this was a short chapter, but it was kind of a filler. But, what Pansy said ****will**** be important in the long run, so…bear with me. Ideas for the next chapter and others to follow are welcome. The next one will probably be in Draco's POV. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**


	8. The Dream

**A/N: I wrote this chapter in my summer school geography class and in the car, so, if it sucks, I'm sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the copyrights to Harry Potter, Quidditch, or dreams. So…sad…must…stay…away…from…KNIVES!!!!**

**The Dream**

Draco looked up at the clock and sighed. Only fifteen minutes had passed since Izabela had gone up to her dorm, and he was already miserable. He turned back to his teammates and watched as they reviewed a play. They were soon interrupted when Pansy came storming out of the dorm, followed by a swarm of her friends. Draco groaned and slid down in his seat, hoping she wouldn't see him. She didn't and slammed down in a chair in the corner covered in shadows. The room was silent at her approach and loud sobs could be heard from the chair. Blaise looked up at Draco from looking at the paper with the calculations on it. His eyebrow was raised as if to say, 'she's your ex, deal with it'.

"Well," Blaise said awkwardly. "I think we're done here." The rest of the team murmured in agreement and started to pack up, the sobs from the chair becoming louder every second. Draco didn't move. He just watched them as they walked up the stairs, probably going to discuss the embarrassment he must've been feeling in safety. He sighed once more and rose, walking over to the chair. The crowd made a pathway for him to get through. He reached Pansy and, unsure of what to do, stood frozen in place in front of her. She raised her head from her hands, her eyes red and swollen, her face streaked with tearstains.

"What do _you_ want?" she asked, her voice cruel. He scratched the back of his head, thinking her words over. What did he want?

"Are…are you okay?" he replied softly.

"I'm fine!" She was silent for a moment before speaking again. "How could you do this to me? Just two days ago, you were lying on my lap, telling me all about your summer. Then, in a matter of an hour, you tell me you don't want to be with me anymore." She sniffed, to the great displeasure of the people near her. "Just…tell me. What did I do…to…drive you away like that?" she asked in a pleading voice. He hunched his shoulders over.

"You didn't do anything," he said.

"Then why? Why'd you leave me so quickly, move on so quickly? Is it because _she_ asked you to?" she replied.

"She didn't do anything either," he said harshly, protectively. "So leave her out of your spite." Pansy glared at him, and he glared back.

"Fine," she spat, looking away. "But if you want to know what happened to her tonight, I suggest you go up there and ask her. The little princess is probably crying right now."

"What'd you do to her?" Draco shot.

"Nothing," she replied innocently. He knew he couldn't just walk up the stairs and see if Pansy was telling the truth, and that hurt him. He turned on his heels and stormed up his own dorm steps, feeling the stares of the people in the common room boring into his back, the hollow emptiness of sound and action mocking him. He reached the door and pushed it open, hearing the conversations of his teammates stop as he entered.

"Continue," he said sharply. "Don't let _me_ interrupt your lovely conversations." He stalked over to his four poster and laid down, slamming his head on his pillow.

"You alright, mate?" Goyle asked from beside him.

"I'm fine," he lied, sounding oddly like Pansy. He turned on his side to face the opposite bed. Goyle shrugged and walked away, rejoining the quidditch team. Draco stared at the post of the bed next to him, waiting for sleep to overtake him. When it didn't come quickly enough, he sighed and closed his eyes, hoping that the darkness would help.

--------------------------------------

Draco felt like he was floating; a look down confirmed the thought, as his feet were at least ten inches off of the ground. He returned his gaze to his surroundings as he floated down a cold, damp, barely-lit corridor, gazing aimlessly around him. Soon, he found himself nearing a group of people. As he neared, he realized that they were all floating as well and watching a body on the ground. They made way for him, backing away as he floated closer. They stared at him expectantly, their faces ghostly white and hollow, emotionless. A closer look revealed the quidditch team, Pansy, and all of her friends. His attention was diverted to the body on the ground. It was mangled, almost unrecognizable. The hair was floating in a pool of blood, chunked together by it and somewhat fanned around the face. And yet, the hair was what confirmed Draco's suspicions; it was jet black and shoulder length, shining in the blood like it had just that afternoon. He felt his body shake with fear and he was soon on his knees on the ground, sharp pains flowing through his entire body at the force of his fall. He put his head to her chest, trying in vain to hear a heartbeat. When he heard none, he screamed, yet nothing came out. The ghostly crowd around him just looked aimlessly around, never blinking. He pulled away her hair, just to check, and felt a tear stream down his face as he did so.

"Izabela," he whispered. The scene was ripped away from him as he felt hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him back into consciousness. Opening his eyes, he realized he was on the floor next to his bed, the reason behind his pain. Around him was the still-awake quidditch team, some half in their pajamas. He felt the sweat on his forehead and wiped it away with the back of his hand. He rose slowly, aware of the fact that his balance may have been affected. He sat on his bed, his head in his hands and the image of her mangled body flashing through his mind. A shiver ran down his spine.

"Mate," Blaise asked tentatively. Draco looked up at him, the image of his pale, emotionless face flashing through his mind as well. He groaned and put his hands back over his eyes, trying to block to memory.

"There anything we can do for you?" Blaise continued. Draco slowly shook his head. Blaise nodded and sat next to him. "Maybe you should try to get back to sleep." Draco nodded and rose to change. He dressed quickly and slipped under his covers, knowing there was no chance of sleep but wanting to humor Blaise all the same. He turned back over on his side, watching the figures of the other boys as they got in their beds.

He pondered what the dream could have possibly meant, contemplating the seriousness of his sub-consciousness's message. He could feel time creeping by at a snail's pace, taunting him with the thoughts of whether or not she was okay. Slowly, even though he didn't want to return to his horror world, he fell asleep.

**A/N: Told you guys this would be from Draco's POV! I hope you liked it, please review.**


	9. The Passion

**A/N: I know I haven't updated in a while and I'm sorry. I just started high school, so I've been stressed…and I've suffered from some MAJOR writer's block. But now I'm back! Dun, dun, dun. I just want to thank all of my faithful readers, especially potterfan93. I know you've been dying for me to write this. Therefore, since you're one of my closest friends, you'll get to read this chapter before anyone else. Oh, also, as a precaution, this chapter is from both of their POV's.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own a thing. Be rich (and awesome) if I did. I'm not….BOO HOO!**

**The Passion**

Draco's eyes snapped open, and he stared around himself, his eyesight blurry. He groaned quietly and sat up. The room was dark, and he knew the sun was far from coming up. He rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his already-messed up hair. He rose and dressed quickly, trying not to wake his sleeping comrades. He thought quickly, unsure of what to do. He needed to see her, to make sure she was okay. And he knew just where to go for all his needs. He grabbed his Slytherin pocket watch, once his father's. He flinched and stuffed it into his pocket, and hurried down the dorm room stairs.

--------------------------------------

Izabela's eyes opened, and she squeezed them shut again. _Why did I have to wake up now?_ she thought to herself. Suddenly, a cold wave of fear swept over her, chilling her to the bone. She sat up abruptly, shivering and trying to figure it all out. Her head was still groggy, but she could feel the mark on her arm. It wasn't the Dark Lord; that hurt much worse. She realized that it could be Draco. But did they really have that special…connection, like her parents had? All because of the mark that graced their skin.

_Graced, no, that's not the right word,_ she thought._ Haunted makes much more sense._ She sighed and hurried to create a protection spell around her things; she trusted no one. As soon as she had finished, she rushed out of her dormitory, not caring if she woke anybody up. Her bare feet padded lightly against the stairs as she hurried to him. She reached the common room just as he was leaving. She groaned, unsure if she should follow him or not. She began to pace in the common room. _I didn't come all this way just to watch him leave,_ she thought, sticking her hand in her back pocket. She realized that she had left her wand on her bed and cursed herself. She stomped her foot on the floor, and sharp pain rang through her leg. She sighed and looked at the ceiling, recollecting her anger.

She slipped out the door, thankful for the darkness of the dungeon-like hallway and her pajamas. Following him was easier than she had thought. He seemed constantly on edge, and she couldn't blame him. _The constant feeling that someone is watching you would make anyone jumpy,_ she thought.

Their progress was slow. At least, hers was, mainly because she always walked ahead of herself and had to slow to let him get farther away from her. She began to feel the pressure of how early it was as it affected her eyelids, weighing them down. Even Filch was asleep at this point. He finally stopped and began to pace between a portrait and a tapestry. She watched in amazement, suddenly more awake.

--------------------------------------

Draco reached his destination and began to pace. If someone was following him, he needed to do this quickly.

_I need a place to hide, where everything is hidden and where I know how she is,_ he thought. He repeated the thought over and over until, after his third round, a handle appeared on the wall. He smirked. The disguise would have to work. He walked over to the handle and pulled it open. He reached the other side of the door, and the handle lay rested in his hand, still there for now.

--------------------------------------

Izabela's eyes widened in shock. _The Room of Requirement,_ a voice not her own said in her head. She blinked, and then rushed over to the door. She pulled at the handle, and found it stuck. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she tugged harder. It released all its weight, and she was sent flying back as it swung open. A shocked Draco stared at her, his eyes wide in fear. But, then his eyes narrowed evilly and he smirked, crossing his arms.

"Was it you that's been following me?" he asked, his voice mocking. She recovered and stood, staring up at him. Her fists clenched, and she could feel her veins pressed against her arms.

"So what if it is? If it bugs you that much, I'll go." She turned to leave, and he rested a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. She turned to face him, her eyes gleaming dangerously. Draco looked her over, sighing at the sight of her black tank top and sweats. She cocked her head slightly to the side trying to understand his expression.

"You don't make it easy on me to mock you," he whispered. He was thinking intensely from the doorway. _I need a place that would make her comfortable._ The thought was echoed until he felt his back get colder. The cold shocked him. Izabela looked him over, trying to decide how serious he was. He could beat her in a fight. At least, if he had his wand on him. She sighed and finally leaned on one hip and crossed her arms. He laughed, and she glared back. He abruptly stopped.

"Explain." She didn't need to say any more.

"You affect my thought process. I can't seem to make myself make you mad, or annoyed, or hurt in any way, if that makes any sense." He waited tensely for her reaction.

"It doesn't," she said, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "But that's okay. I don't need to understand." He grinned. She understood him more that she realized. He took a step forward, hoping the room would stay put, and picked her up, hauling her over his shoulder. She was too shocked to react at first. Then, her natural instincts kicked in. She punched his back and tried to kick, but he had secured her legs too tightly to his body for her to do any damage there. He laughed.

"You're weaker than I thought, newbie," he teased, and she froze. _Oh, he's going to regret that,_ she thought. She stopped attempting to escape and allowed him to drag her into the room, kicking the door shut as he did. She realized she was probably stuck in here. He placed her upright, and she looked up at him once more.

"Now, that wasn't too bad, was it?" She glared at him, but said nothing. She glanced around the room.

It was cool, not freezing, but cool. There was a large, emerald couch on one side and black, mirror-like walls. On the wall behind Draco, there was a wall covered in shelved weapons. Her eyes widened. She felt the blood drain from her face. He couldn't see that part of her, not yet. As soon as she thought it, the weapons disappeared and were replaced by a picture of the Hogwarts lake. She closed her eyes in relief. On the opposite wall from the couch, there was a four-poster canopy bed, and she squinted at it suspiciously. This, however, didn't disappear. Her attention returned to him, and he was staring at the bed, as perplexed as she was. But, then his face was smug, and he leaned in to kiss her. She pushed him away and he stared back at her, confused.

"I'm weak, huh?" She spoke with humor, but her eyes were lethal daggers. He contemplated the answer, but he didn't need to. She leaned up and kissed him, leaning into it with all her passion. He was shocked, but caught up with her lips and kissed her back, pulling her against his body, his hands gripping her waist. She pulled him towards the bed, and he followed willingly. She pushed him on it, and she paused the kiss to pull off his shirt. His body was slightly muscular from both puberty and Quidditch practice, and she leaned even more into the kiss. He pulled her against his body once more, and he felt her smile in the kiss. Her eyes opened as she pulled his arms above his head, her fingers intertwining with his. She glanced at the area on his forearm where his mark was, and how close hers was to touching it. She wanted so badly to succumb to the passion, but knew she couldn't, that he would learn. So, against her own will, she pulled away, looking into his almost-grey blue eyes.

"Now who's stronger?" she whispered, no sense of a joke emitting through her voice. She kissed him again, gently this time. Then she rose, stalking out of the room and leaving him on the bed, his body held up by his elbows. He watched her go, then closed his eyes and sighed. She was right. They shouldn't be doing…it. At least, not then and there. He looked around himself and sighed again. He pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at the time. He replaced it, redressed, and made his way out of the room, never giving it a second glance on the way out. He headed back to the common room to get his things, feeling as though a weight had dropped in his stomach. The day was soon going to begin.

**Reader's Note: Hey this is potterfan93, a faithful friend of ceog4ever1, and a devoted reader of her story, ****Bad Thoughts****. I don't know about all of you, but while reading this story, I got goosebumps on my arms and butterflies in my stomach! One great thing that Ceog does is she draws you in by using so much description! I love it!**

**A/N: You heard her! So, go review…maybe you'll get a cookie!D**


	10. The Consequences

**A/N: Thank you to all of my faithful readers once again. I know that past chapter was…a little racy, to say the least. But, thanks to potterfan93, it was more than just an idea. When she read it, she loved it. I wasn't even going to use it until she told me how it had affected her. So, because of her amazing critiquing skills, she has officially become my editor. So, here it is, the next chapter! (From Izabela's POV).**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter, except maybe an exact replica of Draco's wand…D.**

**The Consequences**

Izabela slipped into her seat in Potions. Breakfast that morning had been a little…awkward, along with Herbology. He had been avoiding her all day, and she expected nothing less that the same in this class. She sighed and slouched down on her desk, thinking over what she had almost done that morning. She closed her eyes as she saw him walk in. He didn't look any better than she did: disheveled and sulky. She was painfully aware of his presence as he sat beside her and the lesson began. She opened her eyes, avoiding the gaze she knew he was giving her and trying to ignore the electricity that seemed to generate from their bodies (A/N: For any _Twilight_ fans reading this, I kinda stole that from _Twilight_). She tried her hardest to pay attention, but couldn't. Finally, she sat up, tilting her chair against the wall, and put her hands behind her head, closing her eyes once more. The electricity seemed to grow between the two as she did so. She allowed the noise of the classroom to become but a hum in the back of her mind. She tuned in to Draco's even breathing and sighed. Her fingers traced her mark, and the realization of all that could've happened that morning seemed so much more deadly. She couldn't let her own selfishness hurt him.

Izabela's eyes snapped open as she caught the last of Slughorn's lecture. "Remember class, the power you gain from a potion must be used with the greatest care. The consequences of what it can and will do will come directly back to you. Now, please bring your potions up to the front of the class to be graded."

All around her, chairs scraped against the floor as students hurried to turn in their completed work. Izabela stayed frozen in her seat, his words echoing through her mind. _'The consequences of what it can and will do will come back to you.' How ironic,_ she thought.

As soon as the class was dismissed, she swept out of the classroom. She needed to be alone. She made her way to the tree by the bank of the lake, sliding against the trunk until she was sitting. She let her head his the rough bark of the tree.

_This…curse, this thing that I was born into and thought was so wonderful. This service, what is it really? I know what my future holds. Death. Why else would we be called Deatheaters? My parents died for a man who fears his own death, who never would have risked himself as they did. And now it's my turn. He's going to make me destroy the one thing I care most about in this world._ She could feel the tears stream down her face and didn't bother to wipe them away. She needed to get this over with.

She rose to her feet and brushed herself off. She faced the tower where she had first kissed him. He stared down at her through the window, then disappeared form her view. _No, not her,_ she thought. _Not where he asked me to…I can't do this here._ She rushed back to the castle, stopping him as he left the hallway. She pushed against his chest.

"Please, not outside," she whispered, her tone begging. He nodded once, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. He grabbed her hand, and she knew that she would need to savor the last few moments she had with him like this. They returned to the room in the tower, his room, and she avoided his gaze. The silence dragged on until he pulled her face in his hands.

"What? What is it?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"Draco, I..." She pulled away from him, her eyes focused once more on the lake. It seemed to be her representation of a perfect world.

"If it's about this morning, we don't have to worry about that. We can try again…when you're ready." His voice was soothing.

"Draco, we can't be together. It…it wasn't meant…this wasn't meant for us." Her eyes never left the lake, but she could feel hot betrayal as it slid down her cheek.

"Izabela, what are you talking about? Look, if Pansy is bothering you, I can--"

"It's not Pansy." Her words were harsh, as were her eyes as she turned to face him. "I can't be with you. Please, don't make this harder than it has to be. She is just one minor problem. I…I can't…you have other things you need to focus on, and I'm trouble." Despite the intensity of the situation, she smiled. "Of course, you're your own trouble as well." She kissed him, pulling away all too soon. "I could never risk losing you," she whispered. She turned and left the room, allowing the tear to form in her heart as she left him standing there, helpless and empty. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. A low, guttural sob escaped from her throat. "Good-bye, Draco Malfoy. I'll always love you." She wiped the tears from her face and made her way down the stairs. She needed to get away, far, far away from him.

**  
A/N: PUH-LEASE don't hate me for this chapter!!! It needed to happen. It was part of the plot from the beginning. Plus, you got a little more insight on how she feels about being a Deatheater. I got seriously worn out and emotionally drained from writing this chapter. So, without further ado, I present my editor with her message!!! Oh, and review please. **

**Editor's Note (E/N): Wow…she told me that was going to happen ahead of time and I was still shocked and sad!!! Of course I don't like them apart and I wish Izabela would tell him about being a Deatheater, but ceog says that my wish isn't likely to come true any time soon (dang it!). I can't wait until the next chapter. Oh, and by the way…you should all check out my story, **_**Something More**_

**A/N: A little info on her story. It kinda has the same basis as mine, minus the evil-ness stuff. And, sorry to burst the bubble of her telling him soon, but you never know what's going to happen in the next chapter!!! **

**REVIEW!!!!...please. 0.0**


	11. The Failure

**A/N: Okay, so my last chapter was mentally draining. But, I think potterfan93's wish might come true sooner than she thinks! No hints implied…D.**

**Disclaimer: If I did, I'd have Draco. I don't….YET!!! laughs maniacally 0.0**

**The Failure**

Izabela pushed through the heavy iron gates of Hogwarts; her thick black cloak flapped around her ankles. She bolted down the path to Hogsmeade, praying that the darkness of night was enough to keep her covered. She slipped into the Hog's Head, grateful for the crowd. She ordered a Butterbeer and shoved her way to the only empty table in the hub. It was greasy, smelled like rotten cheese, and was half-hidden in the shadows. She surveyed the room as she allowed the bitter drink to burn its way down her throat. She froze, the bottle halfway to her mouth as she recognized a pair of cold eyes across the room.

Bellatrix Lestrange stared at her, the lights inside her head clicking on as she saw Izabela. She smiled crookedly, and Izabela formed her mouth into a grim line, nodding silently. Of course _she_ was here. Next to her sat her sister, Narcissa Malfoy. Izabela watched as she bit at her nails, realizing how much they were alike. They both wanted Draco to be safe.

Izabela rose from her seat, grabbing the neck of the bottle, and left the hub. She walked down the silent stone road, aware that she was completely alone. The swish of the liquid in the glass bottle echoed through the air. The pain that had been absent for days returned suddenly, forcing her to her knees. She felt the bottle slide from her hand, crashing into the ground, breaking and showering her legs with the drink. She struggled to stand, but managed to stumble into a dark alley. She needed to get to the meeting.

She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, slipping on the Deatheater's mask she always kept with her. She apparated, appearing in the clearing where she had been initiated, and took her place in the already-forming circle. In the center, her master, her Dark Lord, paced back and forth. There were gaps in the circle that were filling up quickly as the others apparated to the spot. Finally, the circle was filled, with empty spots for those who were in Azkaban. Through the slits in her mask, Izabela searched the ring of Deatheaters for any sign of where he could be. Voldemort rose to stand on top of a stone slab, making him slightly taller than the crowd. The circle fell quiet as they all bowed.

"I have gathered you here for a specific purpose. You have all been assigned jobs known only by me and those who are to help you," Voldemort said, beginning his speech. "I want to see how far you have come. Stand." His voice was forceful, and they all rose from their kneeling positions. He walked around the circle, staring into the eyeholes of each one's mask. When he reached Izabela, she used all of the Occlumency training her parents had given her to block him from her thoughts. His serpent-like face smiled mockingly, and he continued. He reached one of the shorter members of the circle and realization crossed his face.

"Ah, interesting, very interesting." He finished the circle, and stood before them once more. "My two youngest servants, would you please come forward?" It was an order, not a request. Izabela stepped forward, kissed the hem of his robes, and stood to face him. The other did the same. Voldemort turned to face the other. "Mister Malfoy, I see that you have not yet begun to fulfill your task." Draco nodded.

"The first attempt will be made this coming weekend." Voldemort nodded in reply.

"Good. And you, my darling," he said, turning towards Izabela. "You have not only failed to help him, but you have become a distraction! How would your parents think of you?" She winced at the reference to her parents and the harshness of his words. He laughed. "I think, yes, I think it might be time for you to finally introduce yourself to Mister Malfoy," he taunted.

"Please, Master, not now," she whispered, her voice full of fear.

"Do not disobey my orders!" Izabela nodded and raised her hands to her mask, her fingers shaking. Across from her, Draco did the same. He slid his off, and she hesitated. Voldemort waved his hand, and her mask disapparated, forcing her to her knees. "Stand." His voice was sharp. She forced herself do as he said. "Move your hands you insolent little child." She did, her eyes darting uncertainly to Draco's face. She pulled off her hood. Draco took a step back, his breathing sharp and hurried, his face contorted in surprise. Voldemort laughed once more. "I see you have met, young Malfoy. Yes, there were reasons for your thoughts after all." He turned on Izabela. "You will do well not to forget your place again."

"Yes, Master."

"I don't believe you will. But I can help." He raised his wand.

"No, my Lord, I won't forget. Please, my Lord, no." Her voice came out in a rush of words. He smiled viciously.

"Oh yes. Cruccio!" She fell to her knees, her body squirming in pain as she screamed out. Draco watched helplessly as she was tortured. Voldemort raised the curse. "You will not forget." Izabela nodded, tears streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath. "You are all dismissed." She heard her fellow servants disapparate around her. She looked up when it was finally quiet and it seemed she was all alone. She wasn't.

Across from her, his figure was hunched over the slab, his back to her. "Draco," she whispered.

"Don't…just, don't say anything." His voice was uneven. The silence stretched between them. Once again, he broke it. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I wasn't…he wouldn't allow me to. We…we weren't supposed to…I'm sorry, Draco. I really am." The tears hadn't stopped, and she didn't want them to. He turned and walked towards her, leaning down to where she still knelt, her head down.

"I know." She looked up into his eyes as he placed his hand across her cheek. They were full of both fear and understanding.

"Draco, I love you," she said, placing her hand on top of his.

"I know," he repeated. "And I love you." He leaned down to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"Draco, we can't. This…he'd kill you, he'd kill _us_."

"Let him. Then we'd be together…forever." He kissed her again, and she let him. She knew what he said was right. And she agreed with it all. She would rather die than be without him.

**A/N: Sorry if this was a short chapter. But, I did say that potterfan93's, and possibly your, wish might come true sooner than anyone expected, including me. I didn't want him to know until the end, or, at least the battle. But, this felt right. So, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Lots of reader love, **

**Ceog4ever1**

**Editor's Note: I am so glad that Draco knows…****AND**** he accepts her for it.: ). It makes me happy, and I can't wait to find out how things work out! Maybe Izabela can teach Draco how to use Occlumency…that would be good. : )…lets hope it all works out : ). Love,**

**Potterfan93**


	12. The Battle

**A/N: Well…now he knows…cough. I think, and I'm slightly afraid you guys are gonna kill me for this but…this might be the last chapter. [Runs and hides behind Crabbe and Goyle Please don't kill me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of Dumbledore, Amycus, Alecto, Snape, the other Deatheater, and some of Draco's conversations. **

**The Battle**

The next few months passed quickly for the two. Each failed attempt that was discovered by Voldemort resulted in the two of them being hit by the Crutatious Curse, each forced to watch the one they love being tortured. However, the toll of the curse was more stressful for Draco than Izabela. She was soon able to push through the pain enough to stop crying out. Draco was the exact opposite. Each time, he became weaker and frighteningly pale. There were nights when Izabela, now so attuned to Draco's emotions that Voldemort worried, would wake and feel his body shudder as he tried to overcome the lasting pain. She felt for him, but remained silent through the, now more frequent, meetings.

Their love had taken its own beatings. They couldn't hold each other too long, the fear that he would sense it conquering. And, the few times they got to a stage where they could kiss, they had to stop before their sexual tension got any worse. In all, they weren't the picture perfect Slytherin couple everyone else saw.

Izabela was now desperate for Draco to be able to finish the task. Plus, to add to all their troubles, the school year was coming to a close, along with their window of opportunity. Then, that night came.

"I finished it," Draco said as he entered the common room and attracted several stares. He pulled Izabela up from her chair and kissed her before gently sitting himself down. She gingerly draped herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"And since Dumbledore's been gone all night, we can--" Izabela started.

"We can finish our plan, yes," he finished, a triumphant smile crossing his face. "They're coming in about two hours."

"All except him, of course," she said mockingly. "Then we should begin to get ready," she added. Draco nodded, and she stood.

"Yeah," he said, though to which statement Izabela wasn't sure. They went their separate ways to their dorm rooms.

-----------------------------------------

Izabela pushed through the wooden door, almost running into a laughing Pansy in her hurry to get to her trunk. Pansy stopped her progress.

"You know, everyone knows you're a _huge_ tease," her high-pitched voice said as she pushed Izabela farther back. She sighed.

"Out of my way, Parkinson," she said calmly.

"Never." Her voice was cold. "You stole all that mattered to me. Why should I make life any easier on you?"

"Look, Pansy, I--" Izabela was cut off by a loud crash from what sounded like four floors up. "Dammit," she muttered, shoving through Pansy's frozen and shocked friends, grabbing a bundle from her trunk: her Deatheater's robes. She hurried down to the common room, spotting Draco easily because of his hair. She grabbed his arm, pulling him closer to him.

"I thought we had two hours," she whispered in his ear.

"Me, too. Apparently not." Using the crowd as a shield, the two slipped into the hallway. Draco grabbed her hand as they rushed to the Great Hall. He pulled her to him as the inevitable fight began.

"I love you," he whispered, and kissed her.

"Me, too…I love you too," she said as they separate. She pressed her lips to his once more. "Good luck," she breathed, the words filling his mouth. She squeezed his hand once, then turned to join the fight. Draco raced up to one of the north towers, stepping over a body as he did so, and saw that someone had put the Dark Mark above it. He returned back to the bottom floor, glancing out the window and seeing Dumbledore return and limp against the wall outside the entrance. He hurried toward the door.

-----------------------------------------

Draco took a deep breathe and slammed open the huge door. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted, watching Dumbledore's wand fly.

"Good evening, Draco," he replied. Draco noticed the broom near the old wizard's feet as he looked around.

"Who else is here?" he asked.

"A question I might ask you. Or are you acting alone?" Izabela flashed through his mind.

"No, I've got backup. There are Deatheaters here in your school tonight."

"Well, well. Very good indeed. You found a way to let them in, did you?"

"Yeah," Draco replied, panting from nerves. "Right under your nose and you never realized!"

"Ingenious. Yet…forgive me…where are they now? You seem unsupported."

"They met some of your guards. They're having a fight down below. They won't be long….I came on ahead. I—I've got a job to do." The words sounded pathetic as he said them, and it made him even more nervous. How was he going to do this?

"Well, then, you must get on and do it, my dear boy," said Dumbledore softly. He smiled under Draco's intense stare. "Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."

"How do you know?" Draco said, the defense even more pathetic. "You don't know what I'm capable of. You don't know what I've done!"

"Oh, yes, I do. You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You've been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts….So feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has really been in it."

"It has been in it! I've been working on it all year, and tonight--"He heard a muffled yell and stiffened, turning to glance over his shoulder to see if it was Izabela. The attempt was futile; he couldn't see anything. He returned his attention to the wizard.

"Somebody is putting up a good fight. But you were saying…yes, you have managed to introduce Deatheaters into my school, which, I admit, I thought impossible….How did you do it?" Draco ignored the wizard temporarily, listening to the fight behind him. "Perhaps you ought to get on with the job alone. What if your backup has been thwarted by my guard? As you have perhaps realized, there are members of the Order of the Phoenix here tonight too. And after all, you don't really need help….I have no wand at the moment….I cannot defend myself." The wizard watched the motionless boy. "I see. You are afraid to act until they join you.

"I'm not afraid! It's you who should be scared!" Draco snarled.

"But why? I don't think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe….So tell me, while we wait for your friends…how did you smuggle them in here? It seems to have taken you a long time to work out how to do it." Malfoy swallowed down his fears as he thought up the answer. His mind was blank in fear at the moment. Dumbledore was more right than he would ever admit.

"I had to mend that broken Vanishing Cabinet that no one's used for years. The one Montague got lost in last year." The memory brought back his voice.

"Aaaah. That was clever….There is a pair, I take it?"

"In Borgin and Burkes, and they make a kind of passage between them. Montague told me that when he was stuck in the Hogwarts one, he was trapped in limbo but sometimes he could hear what was going on at the school, and sometimes what was going on in the shop, as if the cabinet was traveling between them, but he couldn't make anyone hear him….In the end, he managed to Apparate out, even though he'd never passed his test. He nearly died doing it. Everyone thought it was a really good story, but I was the only one who realized what it meant – even Borgin didn't know – I was the only one who realized there could be a way into Hogwarts through the cabinets if I fixed the broken one."

"Very good. So the Deatheaters were able to pass from Borgin and Burkes into the school to help you….A clever plan, a very clever plan…and, as you say, right under my nose."

"Yeah, yeah it was!" Draco said, building strength from his enemy's encouraging words.

"But there were times, weren't there, when you were not sure you would succeed in mending the cabinet? And you resorted to crude and badly judged measures such as sending me a cursed necklace that was bound to reach the wrong hands…poisoning mead there was only a slight chance I might drink…."

"Yeah, well, you still didn't realize who was behind that stuff, did you?" sneered Draco.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I was sure it was you."

"Why didn't you stop me, then?"

"I tried, Draco. Professor Snape has been keeping watch over you on my orders--"

"He hasn't been doing _your_ orders, he promised my mother--"

"Of course that is what he would tell you, Draco, but--"

"He's a double agent, you stupid old man, he isn't working for you, you just think he is!" His anger was now bubbling over.

"We must agree to differ on that, Draco. It so happens that I trust Professor Snape--"

"Well you're losing your grip, then! He's been offering me plenty of help – wanting all the glory for himself -- wanting a bit of the action – 'What are you doing?' 'Did you do the necklace, that was stupid, it could have blown everything--' But I haven't told him what I've been doing in the Room of Requirement, he's going to wake up tomorrow and it'll all be over and he won't be the Dark Lord's favorite anymore, he'll be nothing compared to me, nothing!"

"Very gratifying. We all like appreciation for our hard work, of course. But you must have had an accomplice, all the same…someone in Hogsmeade, someone who was able to slip Katie the – the – aaaah…of course….Rosmerta. How long has she been under the Imperius Curse?"

"Got there at last, have you?" Draco heard another loud yell and glanced nervously over his shoulder once more.

"So poor Rosmerta was forced to lurk in her own bathroom and pass that necklace to any Hogwarts student who entered the room unaccompanied? And the poisoned mead…well, naturally Rosmerta was able to poison it for you before she sent it the bottle to Slughorn, believing that it was to be my Christmas present….Yes, very neat…very neat….Poor Mr. Filch would not, of course, think to check a bottle of Rosmerta's. Tell me, how have you been communicating with Rosmerta? I thought we had all methods of communication in and out of the school monitored."

"Enchanted coins." His hand shook as he held his wand aimed for Dumbledore's chest. "I had one and she had the other and I could send her messages--"

"Isn't that the secret method of communication the group that called themselves Dumbledore's Army used last year?"

"Yeah, I got the idea from them. I got the idea of poisoning the mead from the Mudblood Granger as well, I heard her talking in the library about Filch not recognizing potions."

"Please do not use that offensive word in front of me." Draco laughed.

"You care about me saying 'Mudblood' when I'm about to kill you?"

"Yes, I do. But as for being about to kill me, Draco, you have had several long minutes now, we are quite alone, I am more defenseless than you can have dreamed of finding me, and still you have not acted….Now, about tonight, I am a little puzzled about how it happened….You knew that I had left the school? But of course. Rosmerta saw me leaving, she tipped you off using your ingenious coins, I'm sure."

"That's right. But she said you were just going for a drink, you'd be back…."

"Well, I certainly did have a drink…and I came back…after a fashion. So you decided to spring this trap for me?"

"We decided to put the Dark Mark over the tower and get you to hurry up here, to see who'd been killed. And it worked!"

"Well…yes and no….But am I to take it, then, that nobody has been murdered?"

"Someone's dead, one of your people….I don't know who, it was dark….I stepped over the body….I was supposed to be waiting up here when you got back, only your Phoenix lot got in the way…."

"Yes, they do that. There is little time, one way or another. So let us discuss your options, Draco."

"_My _options! I'm standing here with a wand – I'm about to kill you--"

"My dear boy, let us have no more pretense about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and means."

"I haven't got any options! I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"

"I appreciate the difficulty of your position. Why else do you think I have not confronted you before now? Because I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realized that I suspected you." Draco winced. "I did not dare speak to you of the mission with which I knew you had been entrusted, in case he used Legilimency against you. But now at last we can speak plainly to each other….No harm has been done, you have hurt nobody, though you are very lucky that your unintentional victims survived….I can help you, Draco."

"No, you can't. Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice."

"Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban….When the time comes, we can protect him over to the right side, Draco…you are not a killer…."

"But I got this far, didn't I? They thought I'd die in the attempt, but I'm here…and you're in my power….I'm the one with the wand….You're at my mercy…."

"No, Draco, it is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now." Draco slightly dropped his wand, thinking of how free he and Izabela could be, when he heard loud footsteps nearing the door. They were coming. They pushed him out of the way as they stormed out, Amycus, Alecto, Fenrir, and one other. He listened to the old wizard make tea party conversation with the Deatheaters as he thought of all he could supply Izabela with. A snippit of the conversation caught his attention.

"And, yes, I am a little shocked Draco here invited you, of all people, into the school where his friends live…."

"I didn't," Draco mumbled. "I didn't know he was going to come--" He let his mind continue to wander as the conversation continued. He was soon drawn into the conversation again.

"No, we've got orders. Draco's got to do it. Now, Draco, quickly." Draco froze, scared, optionless, unsure.

"He's not long for the world anyway, if you ask me! Look at him – what's happened to you, then, Dumby?" Amycus said.

"Oh, weaker resistance, slower reflexes, Amycus. Old age, in short…One day, perhaps, it will happen to you…if you are lucky…"

"What's that mean, then, what's that mean? Always the same, weren't yeh, Dumby, talking and doing nothing, nothing. I don't even know why the Dark Lord's bothering to kill yer! Come on Draco, do it!" There was shuffling behind the doors and a voice.

"_They've blocked the stairs – Reducto! REDUCTO!_"

"Now, Draco, quickly!" said the unfamiliar one angrily. Draco's hand was shaking too badly for him to control; he couldn't do a thing.

"I'll do it," said Fenrir.

"I said no!" the unfamiliar one repeated.

"Draco, do it or stand aside so one of us--" screeched Alecto as the doors burst open and Snape stood outside of it, surveying the scene.

"We've got a problem, Snape," said Amycus. "The boy doesn't seem able--"

"Severus…." Draco stared in bewilderment and the slumping and, now weak, Dumbledore as he spoke. "Severus…please…." Draco followed Snape's wand as it aimed at Dumbledore.

"_Avada Kedavra!" _The green light shot out and hit Dumbledore in the chest, and he was sent flying through the air to hit the ground.

-----------------------------------------

Izabela pushed against the little Gryffindor she was fighting, eventually tiring her out so much she fainted. She stepped over the body, leaving her at someone else's mercy. She had slipped on her Deatheater's robes before she joined the fight. Draco kept running through her mind, and she questioned if he was alright, still alive. She couldn't properly focus. She stopped and sighed, turning to see Draco joined by four Deatheaters. As she did so, Pansy ran up to her.

"You little bitch," she said, her voice so quiet Izabela could barely hear her. Izabela stood, frozen, stunned.

"What?" she asked.

"You're the reason he's looked so horrible. You and your little Deatheater ways."

"In case you hadn't noticed, he's one, too."

"You're probably the reason why," Pansy spat. "And now you'll pay." She raised her wand as Izabela saw Snape rush out the door. She couldn't register what was happening. She was soon disarmed and being hurled towards a stone wall, a flash of blue following her.

-----------------------------------------

Draco looked over his shoulder as Snape dragged him away. It hit him in slow motion. She was flying…hitting the wall…not moving, not standing. His one and only love….

"No," he whispered, seeing Pansy walk away from the scene. His heart filled with hate.

"Come on," Snape snarled, dragging him away. He realized he had stopped to stare at his horrific nightmare come true. His life was over, ended, but hers would never return.

**A/N: THE END!!! Or is it? Stay tuned to find out! MWAHAHA!!!!! Oh! And please review…..**

**E/N: OMG! That was a long chapter! I hate Pansy! I kinda always have but now I do even more. Stupid Pansy. **


	13. Epilogue Seconds Till Midnight

**A/N: The final installment of **_**Bad Thoughts**_**! I want to thank all of my faithful readers and reviewers, including the new one(s) to come. Well, here it goes!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Nothing at all.**

**Epilogue: Seconds Till Midnight**

Scarlet Thorton stared down at the black liquid in her cup. The muggle café annoyed her, with its peppy music and lovey dovey atmosphere, but the coffee helped a bit. She inhaled the aroma, her green eyes closing. They were the only things unchanged about her physical appearance. Her hair was now a violent shade of red and cropped into a halo of spikes around her face, half of which was distorted in swirling scars. In its entirety, her Master had turned it dark, giving it a more Spanish tinge. The last six months of recovery were a bit faded. His face, Voldemort's face, was the only one she had been allowed to see. The voice change had been her own doing; it was now deeper, more velvety, with an Italian accent. Her Master had given her the name, one of his random muggle victim's names from decades ago. She owed everything to him, including her previous life as Izabela Monzenquo.

She sighed and stared at the retro clock on the wall. It was seconds till midnight, yet all around her muggles worked on muggle contraptions as she sipped her scorching drink. Life went on by itself around her. This place had been her recent salvation. No one here cared about her scars, and that was a relief. She felt the last of the drink slide out of the cup, and she placed it on its porcelain saucer, listening to the clink it made. She dropped a few crumpled bills next to it and slid on her thick leather coat, stepping into the rush of London's streets.

As Scarlet turned left into an abandoned alley, she saw the swish of a cloak in the wind out of the corner of her eye. As quickly as she saw it and turned, it was gone. She furrowed her eyebrows, but continued down the alley to her small apartment. Her hand, in her pocket, gripped the handle of her wand tightly. The rubber of her shoes thumped hollowly on the concrete steps leading to her front door. As she turned the key in the lock, she heard the sound of footprints behind her. She spun around and pulled out her wand.

"Who's there?" she said, her voice hitting the air sharply. After a few moments of tense silence, she saw the hovering head of a young man. His face was instantly familiar, although it seemed to have aged greatly in the six months they had been apart. Her eyes widened as she recognized him. Below his blue eyes were dark circles, and his face itself was paler, more sunken in. his almost-white hair was ruffled, messy. Draco Malfoy stared into the face of his target with confidence as he slid off the rest of his newly acquired invisibility cloak, his long fingers shaking in the cold.

"So you are a witch," he said, his voice hoarse. "An…an interesting observation." Scarlet remained frozen to the top step, her wand aimed deadly for his forehead. Although he didn't realize it yet, the two forbidden lovers had been reunited. She coughed as if the air had been knocked out of her and fell to her knees, then onto her back, the black of faintness covering her.

**A/N: Don't worry reading citizens! She's not dead, she just fainted…if you didn't get that part. So, now it's sequel time! Review and soon, chapter one of the sequel to this Fanfic, titled **_**Away From Me**_**, will be up! Thanks again to all my readers! A fond farewell, at least for now,**

**Ceog4ever1**

**Editor's Note:**


End file.
